


Take Care

by bubblyani



Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:28:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24106735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubblyani/pseuds/bubblyani
Summary: Set after the events of The Dark Knight, you find Bruce in his seclusion at the Wayne Manor, broken and defeated. And you could not take it anymore.
Relationships: Bruce Wayne/Reader
Kudos: 41





	Take Care

“So, you’re gonna keep walking like an old man now?”

Looking over his shoulder, Bruce Wayne traced your voice to your figure leaning against the door. Though he acknowledged your presence, he did not answer. Instead, he continued to walk, making through across the room unsteadily with the help of his cane.

Your inquiry was supposed to be a humorous, teasing one. Yet, with his cold silence, you were only filled with nothing but incredible remorse.

“I’m sorry…” you paused, “I…I was trying to lighten the mood…” you said. “…which did not work…apparently”, You muttered to yourself whilst looking away shyly. You only heard the creaking of the wooden floor as he kept walking.

Few months. It had been just a few months since the incident. Since the death of Harvey Dent, and the death of Rachel Dawes. Too many losses, and certainly too many damages done to one man. The man who stood before you, the man who struggled to walk with a worn out knee. Bruce Wayne was in a mess. But certainly was a bigger mess in the first month. He barely saw anyone. But afterwards, you managed to warm your way into the Wayne Manor with much insistence, just so you could pay visits. After all, you were his good friend and coworker. The visits became something of as essential for you. Something that was as essential as eating, blinking or even breathing. If you were ever busy, you were merely a phone call away, checking up on him through Alfred. But tonight was one of those fortunate moments where you managed to see him in the flesh.

Bruce groaned, as the cane got stuck in a decayed hole in one of the wooden floorboards. Having a hard time pulling it up, he slightly lost his balance. Unable to watch his get smothered by gravity and disability, you sighed heavily whilst walking over to him.

“Here…” you began, tying your hair in a ponytail, “…let me...” You said, standing in between him and the cane. Wrapping his arm around your shoulder, you finally pulled out the cane with force. “That needs to be fixed…” you muttered, “I’ll tell Alfred, don’t worry” you added, looking up at Bruce. Except he kept staring at the decayed hole in the ground. His face, it looked tired, his beard had grown longer. Reading his expression, you could only assume he was certainly comparing himself to that. A decayed failure who could even fend for himself.

“This is quite unlike you, Bruce” you breathed, finally unlocking the door of your heart, permitting yourself to speak freely for once, “It breaks my heart to see you like this…” you motioned to him, “…literally…” you said, pounding your chest. Bruce chuckled, still looking down. He barely spoke these past few days. Therefore, a chuckle seemed special indeed.

“I know I can’t ask you to stop…” you went on, “…being like this…I have no right…” you said, “…but you need someone to take care of you”

“I have someone” he replied in hoarse tone, looking at you. Finally the man spoke, you thought. “I have Alfred” he added. You could not help but scoff with disbelief. “Bruce! He’s literally _the_ only old man in this house” you said, “I don’t have the heart to ask too much of him. He’s already got his hands full” you added, looking around the room.

“So...who do you recommend?” Bruce asked, “A sprightly, young woman as a maid, maybe?” A tight smile appeared in your face. At least he was being consistent with his sass. “As long as you’ll promise to rest well… and walk again normally” you answered in a flat tone. Bruce tilted his head looking at you. “Given the tense look on your face…a sprightly, young woman was never in your recommendation list, was there?” He asked, with a raised brow. His voice still remained hoarse for he had rarely spoken.You eyes widened.

“What?” You asked, “I didn’t say anything” you said in a defensive tone, finally relaxing your apparently tense muscles instantly. Curse his impressive detective skills, you thought. He saw right through you. Bruce nodded understandably.

“Alright…” he teased softly, “…sprightly, young woman is off the table-” “Could you STOP saying that?” All the sudden, You snapped. Finally realizing the gravity of your tone, you averted your eyes in embarrassment, “…sorry…” you whispered. Bruce chuckled. Your heart clenched. He was too good to you.

As much as you were glad he found all this quite amusing, it was no joke. Yes, you were jealous of the thought of a beautiful, young woman entering Wayne Manor specifically to care for eccentric Billionaire socialite Bruce Wayne.Yes, you worried that said woman would fall helplessly in love with him, and vice versa. But the more you thought about this situation, you realized he was not getting any younger. And neither were you. Time was not on either of your sides. As you stood, you noticed his eyes. It was not that you had never not noticed them. But tonight, you really saw them. You witnessed all that he had really undergone. The lines on his face seemed more imminent. Those lines were the symbols of his pain and his suffering.

Finally, you felt the weight disappear as Bruce managed to stand up straight. “Okay, I’m fine now” he said, taking the cane from your hand. “Good” you replied, your eyes still on his. Bruce smiled as he looked down. “Your hands are still on me” he pointed out. “I know…” You were supposed to be shocked. You were supposed to be embarrassed. Yet, for some reason you did not care. You did not care that one arm remained wrapped around his waist, while the other hand rested on his chest. “Why...you don’t like it?” You asked innocently. “No, I don’t mind” Bruce shook his head slowly, “I don’t mind at all” he breathed, looking straight at you, “Just…want to know…why?” When his eyes caught yours, you suddenly grew silent. He was absolutely right. Why?

Truthfully, you knew why. You merely felt the reasons instead. Expressing them through words seemed challenging in an instant. Keeping your gaze unchanged, you kept silent.

Until you could finally speak your mind. Until your heart was permitted once again to be free.

“Would it be so wrong…” you began, “..if I said that it was because I didn’t want to..?” You asked. Taking a deep breath, you continued, “…that I don’t have the heart to..?” You said. His eyebrows furrowed with confusion.Your clenched heart grew heavy as you went on, “That...I want to always be that lump of flesh you could lean on to when you can’t stand?” Gulping, you felt your nose tickle inside, “Or the mouthpiece…” your voice broke “…that could make you smile when you …W-when you never thought you could?”

Immediately, all forms of control of your own body was tossed away and lost. Your clenched, heavy heart lost control of its own knees and crumbled to the ground. You felt it when your eyes welled up with tears, enough to blind you. You felt it when there was a lump in your throat.

Eyes widening, Bruce looked at you with concern. “Y/N...” He murmured. Triggered instantly, you broke down in tears. Your cries were loud, but truly genuine. With your hands still on him, you bawled. “I-I can’t let you suffer like this anymore…” you cried while your shoulders shook, “I care about you too much...” “Y/N...” With pain in his voice, Bruce pulled you into his arms. Holding you on his own, he surprisingly found his balance. His embrace made you feel warm. Moving your hand from his chest to his head, your fingers ran through his hair from the back of his head. Keeping your face pressed against the crook of his neck, you continued to cry.

“Let me take care of you Bruce, please…” you cried, “…please” you begged him with sincerity.

“I will, Y/N…” Bruce answered, to which your eyes widened. Sniffing, you looked at him with disbelief. 

“As long as you’ll have me” He said, his eyes proving those words to be genuine.

You were grateful, but the pain you had kept hidden, the pain you held for him all this time, still remained inside. Thus, you proceeded to cry. And Bruce did not show any form of hesitation whilst he comforted you.

Grateful the fact that you had declared to become sole comfort of his own life, his life that was filled with his own pain.

——————————————————


End file.
